“I HAVE SINNED!”

Luke 15:11-32                         (ESV)

“11 And HE said, "There was a man who had two sons.

12 And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.' And he divided his property between them.

13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living.

14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need.

15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs.

16 And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.

17 "But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger!

18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, “I HAVE SINNED” against heaven and before you.

19 I AM NO LONGER WORTHY to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants."'

20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, HIS FATHER saw him and FELT COMPASSION, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.

21 And the son said to him, 'Father, “I HAVE SINNED” against heaven and before you. I AM NO LONGER WORTHY to be called your son.'

22 But the father said to his servants, 'Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet.

23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate.

24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to celebrate.

25 "Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.

26 And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant.

27 And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.'

28 But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him,

29 but he answered his father, 'Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends.

30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!'

31 And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and ALL THAT IS MINE IS YOURS.

32 It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.'"

There is something about being placed into a hopeless situation that causes us to more readily accept less than ideal solutions with more acceptance, maybe even an eagerness.  In the parable of the Prodigal Son, the young man found himself DESTITUTE, with NO HOPE, UNTIL he realized that all he had to do was ADMIT that he had made a mess of his life and he needed to ADMIT it and return to his FATHER for restoration.  He “squandered” everything he had on the things of “this world” and was required to pay the cost for his riotous living.  He had to go to his FATHER and humbly confess “I HAVE SINNED”!  

Trouble has a way of bringing me RUNNING to the LORD.   Psalms 34:18 says “The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the CRUSHED in spirit.”   Getting to the point where we are HUMBLED enough TO ADMIT that “I HAVE SINNED” can be one of the most gut-wrenching, yet liberating places we ever experience.  There is something about ADMITTING that we are “imperfect” and need help getting through our lives that allows us to accept help in our time of need.  The Prodigal Son was precisely in a spot where he knew what he had done, knew what he deserved, and became willing to let THE LORD bail him out!  

We ALL have the same HEAVENLY FATHER.  Some of our EYES have been opened to SEE that we are “in a pig sty” with NO HOPE of getting out without our FATHER’s help.   We can continue “in a pig sty”, or we can go to our HEAVENLY FATHER and say “I HAVE SINNED” and let HIM forgive us and put a robe on us!  We don’t deserve this, it’s just that ALMIGHTY GOD is forgiving enough to do that for me, AND YOU!